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StudentsFirst Report Card Shines Light on Education Reform

Education reform advocacy group StudentsFirst, led by school choice champion Michelle Rhee, has released their State Policy Report Card. This report card was designed “to evaluate the education laws and policies in place in each state.” The study used three forms of criteria for evaluation to find states in which schools: Elevate teaching, Empower Parents, and Spend Wisely & Govern Well. This study shines a light on education reform, and people are taking notice. With high-ranking states trumpeting their success and low-ranking states in spin-control overdrive, it’s clear that the states know the public is waking up to education reform and accountability.

The states which fared well have been touting their success in this report as a way to highlight the strengths of their education systems. John White, state superintendent of Louisiana, said their high rank was an “indication of the boldness and the courage that our governor and our legislators and our people have shown in supporting policies that don’t accept the status quo.” Those in the low-ranking states were singing a different tune, however. They simply decided to discount the study. California’s chief deputy superintendent, for example, told the New York Times that their F ranking was “A badge of honor,” and questioned the credibility of the group. Rhee fired back, saying “Mr. Zeiger may call that a badge of honor, but I call it a social injustice.”

The attention on this report card is also important because the data correlates to other school achievement data in interesting ways. The states which fared best in the StudentsFirst report card have some of the weakest teachers’ unions in America. Meanwhile, states such as California and Montana, which received an F grade, are among the strongest. Robust school choice also correlates with higher rates of graduation, adding another layer of correlation with educational data. As more studies emerge, a clearer picture of American education is coming together.

The StudentsFirst Report Card is another step forward for education reform and accountability. Every American taxpayer has invested in our public education system and informing them as to what works (and doesn't) is a great service.

As an American taxpayer, nothing is more important to me than education reform. If we fail to stop the progressive's from indoctrination of our kids, who will even understand the concepts of liberty in the future when we are gone. Yes, we can instill these values in our own children at home, but it is imperative that we have a strong voice in the public schools as well. I wish that everyone could afford to home-school, but unfortunately, that is not the case. As Americans we should demand choice in where we send our kids to be educated. If a public school is doing a poor job of teaching our kids, then we should be able to opt for another school where our kids will get the education that is so valuable for the survival of the American dream.

On behalf of our activist community, I urge you to contact your senators and ask them to support the Student Empowerment Act, S. 3102, introduced by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas). This bill will further expand 529 education savings accounts to include K-12 elementary and secondary school expenses for public, private, and religious schools, including homeschool students.

“And at the U.S. Department of Education, Common Core is dead.”
This is music to the ears of advocates for federalism, school choice, and, frankly, for student success everywhere. These words came directly from U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos last week at a conference in DC titled “Bush-Obama School Reform: Lessons Learned,” held by the free-enterprise think tank American Enterprise Institute.

The U.S. Senate has confirmed Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education. Despite opposition from teachers’ unions, DeVos was able to get the nomination with a confirmation vote from Vice President Mike Pence. There have been many arguments for and against her candidacy for the nomination, but now she is US Secretary of Education. With her nomination, there are various positives to look forward to that could be of great benefit to education reform. The most prominent one being: increasing school choice.

We are proud to award Rep. Thomas Massie’s (R-Ky.) bill to abolish the Department of Education, H.R. 899, as FreedomWorks’ Bill of the Month for March. His bill, only a sentence long in length, reads, “The Department of Education shall terminate on December 31, 2018.”

On February 9, Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI) introduced H.R. 999 to amend the internal revenue code of 1986 to expand access to Coverdell education savings accounts. This bill has bipartisan support and will help millions of Americans struggling to pay for education. The bill was referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

On behalf of FreedomWorks’ activist community, I urge you to contact your representative and urge him or her to support the Academic Partnerships Lead Us to Success (A-PLUS) Act, H.R. 719, introduced by Rep. Mark Walker (R-N.C.). This bill will put education back in the hands of local and state governments.

As the recent hearing in the Texas legislature shows, the school choice debate is far from over. The Texas House of Representatives faces pressure from public school administrators and teachers unions on one end and school choice proponents on the other.

Last week, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee held an additional hearing about the proposed implementation regulations for the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). As noted before, the proposed regulations go well beyond the law passed by Congress as the Department of Education (DOEd) continues seeking to meddle in local schools. The testimony of the witnesses highlights the need for public input pushing back on the federal government’s proposed regulations, which include a potential back door route to reimpose Common Core mandates on the states.

Last month's proposed rules on school accountability are yet another reminder that it’s time for federal bureaucrats at the Department of Education to get their hands out of our education system. In its latest power grab, the department seeks to enact top-down measures that would remove authority from the hands of teachers, school districts, and state government. The regulation would impose Education Department-mandated accountability measures promulgating federal government oversight over student and school achievement.

Yesterday's proposed rules on school accountability are yet another reminder that it’s time for federal bureaucrats at the Department of Education to get their hands out of our education system. In its latest power-grab, the department seeks to enact top-down measures that would remove authority from the hands of teachers, school districts, and state government. The regulation would impose Education Department-mandated accountability measures promulgating federal government oversight over student and school achievement.